Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Statistics:
22-31-1, 259 yards, 2 TDs; 1 attempt, 1 yard, 1 TD

Eli Manning was quite familiar with the pressures that came with being a high-profile quarterback at Ole Miss. He was faced with the challenge of leading the Rebels to their first major bowl victory in 34 years. His job was to outscore Oklahoma State’s high-octane attack in the 68th Cotton Bowl Classic. And Manning delivered in a big way. He threw for two touchdowns in the first half after long drives through enemy territory. At the start of the fourth quarter, he pushed the Rebels to a 31-14 lead with a quarterback sneak to wrap up a 97-yard march. But the Cowboys were far from finished and they pulled within three points of the Rebels in the game's closing minutes. Manning dug in and led his team on another time-consuming drive. This one covered 65 yards and chewed up the final 4:38 on the clock. It was a clutch performance by the Rebels and Manning in particular. Ole Miss won a thriller, 31-28.